


I Am Become Death

by MsPerception427



Series: Redemption [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Protective Liam Dunbar, Team Death Omens, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23897158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsPerception427/pseuds/MsPerception427
Summary: Theo had nightmares. It was common knowledge with all of the Pack. While it was a problem, robbing him of sleep, it wasn't a Pack Problem.... that is until the night he full-shifted in his sleep and ran out of the house to a cemetery. Add in Mason having the same nightmares and the situation has now officially become a Pack Problem. A Problem that will lead them out of Beacon Hills and on a journey through Theo's past that will lead to some new conclusions about the former Chimera of Death.
Relationships: Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Redemption [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1071669
Comments: 48
Kudos: 181





	1. When a problem becomes a Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I'm back at it again with the angst. Hope you all enjoy!

Liam was exhausted as he pulled Theo’s truck to a stop outside the McCall-Argent home. There were several other cars already parked in the driveway, including Roscoe. That was good. Scott was already home. Not that Liam had any doubt that the Alpha would be there. Something was off with his pack. Something was off with his brother. That alone was enough to incentivize Scott. The fact that Mason was also seemingly affected by this.. whatever was going on just added to the chaos. 

So no, Liam wasn't at all surprised to see the other cars in the driveway, including Mason’s. They left roughly about the same time but Theo fell asleep shortly after getting in the truck. Given that the chimera had barely slept more than a few hours since all of this began, Liam wasn't about to interrupt him now. So he took the long way to the pack meeting to give Theo more time and he was loath to move him even after they parked. He was well aware of the curious looks they were getting through the window. But he wasn't moving until Theo woke up on his own… whenever that would be. 

He didn't know how long he was sitting there, ignoring the continuous stares through the window and the buzzing of his phone on his lap. His entire focus was on Theo's soft breathing. He stared at the profile of his boyfriend's face. It was the only part visible as most of it was smashed up against the window. His breathing was deep and even. It was the best sleep he had in days and Liam was not about to let anything disturb him. He finally tore his gaze away from Theo, instead choosing to stare out at the darkness around them, listening to Theo’s breathing beside him. Suddenly, the soft breaths hitched slightly and Liam knew he was waking up. He turned his head to the side in time to see the chimera blinking heavy-lidded eyes sleepily in his direction. He yawned and it was evident the older man wished he was still asleep. Liam also wished he could give him even more time. 

“We're here? Why didn't you wake me?” Theo murmured, slowly pushing himself upright. His movements were lethargic and spoke to just how much he needed that rest. 

“I didn't have the heart to wake you up,” Liam answered, his fingers rising to brush against the dark bruise-like skin already forming under Theo's eyes. He sighed softly as Theo leaned into the touch. His eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment before focusing on him again. “You needed the rest. Hell, you need a lot more than just that quick little nap.”

“Well, that's why we're back, right?” Theo asked, a ghost of his familiar smirk tugging on his lips. “To figure this whole thing out so I can go back to sleeping without worrying about shifting and running into cemeteries or dreaming about random strangers dying all around me.”

Liam tugged the all too willing Theo into his arms, kissing the older man's temple as his beautiful chimera melted into the embrace. Though he was trying to be flippant about the situation, Liam knew Theo was genuinely scared. Hell, Liam was genuinely scared for him to be honest. 

Theo had nightmares. It was just a thing that happened. They all knew it and helped to the extent that they could. But for the past three days, the nightmares were different. Theo always remembered what he dreamt about because it was what happened to him. But this time was different. He would wake up screaming but when asked what it was he saw, Theo couldn't remember anything. He just felt an overwhelming sense of panic, fear, and dread. And while it was upsetting nothing about it screamed Problem until one morning when Mason admitted he was also having bad dreams. Bad dreams that seemed weirdly similar to Theo’s. 

To make it even more terrifying, that very same night Theo full-shifted in his sleep and ran from their apartment. Liam, Corey, and Mason finally found him in a cemetery not far from where they lived. He had shifted back to human form while he was still asleep. He couldn't remember shifting or anything really until Liam woke him up. When it happened a second time, they realized that they officially had a Problem. After reaching that conclusion, they told Scott. Scott then immediately declared they would be heading home for summer vacation a bit earlier than anticipated. Liam only hoped they could figure it out because he wasn't sure that Theo could take much more of this. It was starting to wear him down and it hadn't even been a week. 

“Ready to go in?” Liam asked softly. 

“Nope,” Theo admitted, nuzzling further under Liam's chin. Liam rubbed his back lightly. “But if we don't, I think my dad might actually shoot you.” 

Liam snorted. It turned into a full laugh as he caught sight of Chris standing at the window not even pretending he wasn't spying on them. He shook his head and reluctantly pulled away from Theo. Together they made their way inside where Theo was promptly pulled into an examination/interrogation/comfort session by Melissa, Deaton, and Dean. Mason was already sitting on the sofa/makeshift examination area looking just as exhausted and confused as Theo. Liam's heart lurched at the sight. Jenna immediately crossed the room to hug her son. 

“Hey, baby.”

Liam leaned fully into his mother's embrace. Jenna was petite but proved more than a few times that she was willing to carry the burden of her child’s troubles. He sighed, settling against her even more. She held him tighter in response. He loved her so much. 

“Hey, Mom.”

“So how’s he doing? For real? Not the usual crap he's going to tell everyone.” 

“Oh, same old same old, really. Repressing everything and trying to pretend he's not scared out of his mind.”

“Typical. And how are you doing?” Jenna asked, leaning back to look at her son through the same eyes he inherited from her. 

“Oh, you know the same old same old, really. Repress everything and try to pretend I'm not scared out of my mind.”

“That's my boy!” Jenna smiled, stretching up to kiss his forehead. She bopped him on his chin as her smile turned wistful.“You're going to get him through this. You always do. You're going to get them both through this. You and Mason have been fighting together since you were kids. You won't lose him either.”

Liam nodded, fighting hard to keep his emotions under check. It was bad enough that this was happening to Theo but why did it have to involve Mason too? Why couldn't they just be normal for a bit? Yes, they were supernatural creatures but didn't they deserve to be normal young adults too? They had just celebrated Theo’s twenty-first birthday barely a few days before all of this started going down. They should still be on a high but now… now they were tense and gathered together with the hopes that they could pull a last-minute miracle out of their asses again. 

When this was all over, Liam was totally taking the Puppy Pack away for some much needed R&R. That's not to say that the older members of the pack weren't in need of a break but Liam was only an unofficial alpha but to so many. And he was going to get them a break if it killed him. But he was really hoping it didn't. 

After a quick brainstorming session that yielded no further information or leads, they decided to break for the evening. What followed was a significantly more subdued than usual pack night but not by much. Though they were respectful of Mason and Theo who immediately knocked out after eating, it was still the McCall pack. Liam had a theory that they couldn't have more than two of them in a room without noise and chaos following. It was comforting in its unpredictable predictability. 

What wasn't comforting was waking up only an hour after he curled around Theo's sleep warm body to an empty bed. Somehow in the one damn hour that Liam was asleep, Theo left again. And judging by the clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor, he left on four legs. Again. Before Liam could sound the alarm, Corey was in the doorway pulling a sweatshirt on while also shoving his feet in his sneakers. 

“Okay, so Mason is gone. And apparently so are Lydia and Jordan,” he reported. Liam raised an eyebrow. “Derek called. Said that they both took off about an hour ago and wanted to know if Theo was here. I didn't get a chance to even check before I saw that Mason was gone. So it's Mason, Theo, and our Death Omens.”

Liam felt a chill down his spine. They all casually referred to Lydia and Jordan as Team Death Omen. The banshee and the hellhound. The full extent of their abilities was still unknown to them all. Mason was a genetic chimera Druid in training with magical powers and constantly tapped into things even they couldn't understand. But the fact that they were missing alongside Theo made Liam pause. Though he wasn't around when Lydia first discovered her banshee side, Scott told them how she struggled to understand what she was. The times she would go to sleep and end up somewhere else. The dreams she would have. It all echoed Theo's current situation but it was also impossible. 

For starters, there were no male banshees. And even if there were his powers would have emerged far earlier than twenty-one. And then there was the fact that Theo wasn't supernatural at all. He was a normal kid until the dread doctors experimented on him. Then again, all they had to go on for that was Theo. And he was barely eight years old when the Dread Doctors took him. He wouldn't know. And they kept him away from it all. They scared him away from ever looking into his own file, his own genetic makeup. 

“Liam? Are you okay?” Corey asked. Liam blinked and realized that Scott and Alec had joined them in the time he had been zoned out. “Liam?”

“I… Scott? Do we have the Dread Doctors’ journals? From the time they had Theo specifically.”

Scott's face darkened. “No, but I know someone who can get them. Is there any particular reason we're going there?”

“Remember what you told me about Lydia? When she was first waking up as a banshee? This is almost the same, Scott.”

“But there are no male Banshees. At least, I don't think there are.” Scott's face twisted comically as his brain no doubt tried to process that one. 

But Liam knew he was taking it seriously. He could see the minute it registered for him. The weight he had been carrying since the night before when they told him about the Problem seemed to double at that moment. It wasn’t just the weight of an Alpha. It was the weight of an older brother who felt powerless when it came to helping. Still, Scott was an Alpha through and through. He visibly swallowed and pushed back the negativity and concern. He stood up taller and put a grounding hand on Alec’s shoulder. 

“Okay, that’s something to continue to explore but right now we need to find them. It’s pointless to try and figure out what’s happening when we don’t even know where they are.” 

“They’re in the woods,” Chris said suddenly causing all of them to jump. He rolled his eyes and held up his phone. “According to the tracker I gave Theo, they’re approaching the Nemeton.” 

“I’m sorry, the tracker you ‘gave’ Theo,” Alec’s brow furrowed. He pointed at Theo’s scattered clothing. “Dad, he left on four legs. And even if he’s shifted back, he’s butt ass naked. There’s no way he’s holding some kind of tracker. Short of embedding it in his skin… wait… Dad did... did you tag my brother?!” 

“No, I didn’t tag your brother aka my son,” Chris scoffed, rolling his eyes at Alec’s dramatics. “I slipped it in the tea he had before he went to bed.” 

“And you think it’s better that he swallowed it?!” 

“It’s me! Did you really think I wasn’t going to do something like this? You told me my kid ran off on four legs and you found him sleeping naked and confused in a cemetery and only by luck. Of course, I was going to find a way to track him. And look, it worked. Instead of splitting up and searching the whole town, we know where he is. You’re welcome!” 

“You are a terrifying man,” Scott finally said. “But I’m so glad you’re on our side.” He grinned at Chris with a sly smirk. “Dad.”

It was a fairly new thing that Scott had been trying out for the past few months or so. While he had not given up on his biological father, it was beyond obvious that Chris was more of a father to him than his own. He had proven that he would be there for the children he called his own. After watching Chris mercilessly track down and handle some hunters who made the mistake of thinking they could send him a message through Alec and Theo, Scott was more than willing to accept that truth. 

As he typically did when Scott called him that, Chris flustered a bit before shoving it all back and walking away. Scott snorted and followed him down the stairs with an openly giggling Alec trailing behind. Liam was set to follow when he noticed Corey lingering. His face was pensive and a frown pulled at his lips. 

“Core?”

“They're going to be okay, right? Mason, he's… I love him. But I know this isn't… its Theo, isn't it? Something is happening to him. He's changing.”

“Yeah,” Liam sighed. “I don't know how but it's him. He's… more than we thought he was. But we're going to figure this out. He's going to be okay.”

“You know this?” Corey asked, lips quirking. Liam grinned. 

“Yeah, I know this. We're not going to let him be anything other than okay.”

He started to walk away again when he noticed Corey still wasn't moving. “Corey?”

“It's just that… it was something Hayden said when she first came back. You know when she was being all crazy?” Liam snickered and nodded. “The first time she saw Theo shift, she said that he looked different. And she was right. He's… changed. His full shift form is different.”

Liam bit his lip. As much as he did recognize Theo as the wolf that chased him the night he told Mason everything, Corey and Hayden both had a point. The chimeras knew Theo's other form better. So if they both said he was different then he was different. Liam wondered if it was all connected. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he realizes it probably was. 

“First things first, we need to find them and then we can worry about everything else later.” 

“Yeah, you're right,” Corey said, exhaling heavily. “To the Nemeton!”

“To the Nemeton!” 

* * *

Liam honestly didn't know what he was expecting when he and the others finally reached the tree that stayed screwing with their lives. But whatever he was expecting paled in comparison to reality. Reality found Lydia sitting on the stump of the Nemeton with a full hellhound mode Jordan behind her, Mason beside her and a shifted Theo on her lap. It wasn't too odd until they noticed that Theo's eyes were open and glowing a solid white. Mason's were the same. Jordan’s eyes were full of flames while Lydia's were closed. Liam didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. They were breathing just fine and their heartbeats were steady. They seemed to be unharmed. Just apparently jacked into some kind shared vision. That was… fine. 

“This isn't creepy and ominous at all,” Brett drawled from where he was leaning up against a tree. Lori was beside him watching the scene with wide eyes. “And this is officially way beyond my pay grade.”

“Figures that all our geniuses are up there!” Alec gripped as he slouched next to Lori. She patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah,” Melissa answered once she was done giving them all a cursory exam. None of them responded to any external stimuli, each lost to whatever it was that was making their eyes glow. “They’re not in pain or anything. They’re in some kind of trance.” 

“This whole thing is just getting creepier,” Liam muttered. Scott snorted beside him in agreement. Liam glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. The alpha looked worried, his eyes moving over the four inert members of his pack but his eyes landed on Theo the longest. 

“So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for them to snap out of it?” Isaac asked, tilting his head to the side. “How long is that supposed to take?” 

The answer ended up being two hours. In the end, it was only Chris, Melissa, Scott, Liam, Corey, and Isaac left in the clearing around the Nemeton when suddenly Lydia screamed. Having been around the banshee for years, Liam was well versed in her screams. But this one… this one rattled the woods around her and was echoed by a deep howl that came from Theo. The six members of the pack left behind scrambled to their friends. 

“What the hell was that?!” Liam asked, looking desperately to an equally confused Scott. “She’s never done that before.” 

“Mason?” Corey’s voice stopped whatever response Scott was going to attempt to make. The chimera was staring at his boyfriend with a frown on his face. Liam figured out why a moment later. The druid in training was murmuring something under his breath. Liam shook his head to clear the ringing left from Lydia’s scream away to focus on it. 

“Concordia,” Scott murmured, also clueing in. “What the hell is a Concordia?” 

“Not what but where.” 

They all turned to see Deaton and his sister emerging from the woods. Liam really wanted to know if it was a Druid thing that allowed them to just appear mysteriously while spouting as much cryptic stuff as possible. If so, he was not looking forward to when Mason learned that. Then again, Mason was sitting on an all-powerful tree stump apparently tapped into some kind of four-way shared death omen vision and repeating the name of an apparent place over and over. So maybe he was already mysterious and cryptic enough. 

“Okay then, where is Concordia?” Scott asked, seeming slightly disgruntled. Liam grinned. Nice to know he wasn’t the only one that was over Deaton’s cryptic crap even after all these years. Okay, especially after all these years. 

“Concordia is a small town about three hours from here,” Morrell answered, face blank as always. “You won't find it on any map. They are a notoriously closed off but special community not unlike what Beacon Hills is becoming. A home for the strange and unusual. The supernaturally strange and unusual.” 

“And you're just mentioning this place now?” Melissa asked. 

“They've never been particularly welcoming to outsiders. The people there were born there. They don't allow for outside interference. They won't even let Druids in.”

“I always thought it was just a rumor,” Chris spoke up next. “I guess that's kind of the point. It kept the hunters away.”

“I guess we could learn a thing from them after all,” Liam muttered. Scott nodded. “But why now? What are they all reacting to?”

“I don't know,” Morrell said, her mask slipping just a bit. “But I'll get someone to look into it. They don’t like outsiders but I know someone who can get in easily enough to see what’s going on there.” 

“Don't bother,” a shaky voice interrupted. They turned to see Lydia shaking off her trance. Her previously closed eyes were open and red-rimmed. Jordan had his hands on her shoulders offering comfort he seemed to need himself. 

“Lydia? What's going on? Why shouldn't we bother?” Scott asked, taking a step towards them. Lydia's hands flexed over Theo’s head which was still resting on her lap. Liam could feel the sadness coming from his boyfriend who had yet to even look like he was ready to shift back. Scott’s step faltered. “Lydia?”

“The people… the whole town…” she trailed off, shaking her head. 

“It was a vision,” Mason finally answered, voice numb and flat. “The nightmares we had, the… all of it. It was a vision.”

“Is that why you screamed?” Melissa asked. Lydia nodded. “So I'm guessing it was a bad one? Like someone is going to die bad?”

“More like a lot of someones are going to die,” Lydia exhaled shakily. Her fingers tightened briefly in Theo's fur. Theo whimpered, closing his eyes. “And they're not going to die. They're already dead.”

“How many?”

“All of them. The whole town.”

Liam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Their previously defeated positions took on a whole new meaning with those three words. Scott was shaking his head, seemingly unaware that he was doing it in the first place. 

“How can that…. who would do that?” Scott's voice was mixed between confusion, horror, and rage. His eyes flared red.

“Monroe. It was Monroe.” 


	2. Death Omen or Death Omen Adjacent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is super late. I meant to have this up like on Monday. But I also promised myself that I wasn't going to upload until I was at least pretty solid on chapter 3. I'm... semi-solid. But all the really wonderful comments that I got inspired me to get off my butt and post what I have. So thanks to all of you. You're all so wonderful. And here's chapter two!

Monroe was the gift that kept on giving…. no matter how much they promised they didn't want it. She hadn't been in a problem in so long that they stupidly let themselves forget about her. The last time she had been an overt threat to the pack was during the war. Sure, hunters had come and gone between then and now, but they stupidly let themselves forget she was still alive out there because she wasn't actively threatening them. They were stupid and lazy. This was their fault. 

“How does she keep doing this?!” Liam growled. “She's just one woman! How did she take down an entire town?!” 

“You act like it’s just her,” Isaac pointed out, calmly. “It’s her and an army of hunters she’s accumulated through the years. We might think she’s foaming at the mouth crazy but there are a lot of people out there like her. People who don’t like things they don't understand.” 

Liam hated that he had a point. Monroe was batshit crazy for sure. But she also had a psychology degree. She was good at what she did and that was influencing minds for change. And while she had the benefit of the Anuk-Ite, she didn’t need that entirely to whip people into a frenzy. The McCall Pack worked to keep the peace in Beacon Hills but they were but one pack. There were hundreds, probably thousands of people that were impacted by the supernatural. And maybe not in a good way. 

“What I don’t get is how she or her followers could take out an entire town though. Especially a town full of supernaturals.” 

“From the rundown, I got from Deaton,” Derek started, eyes forward while driving and ignoring the raging wolf in the backseat sitting next to the miserable chimera. “Concordia is and isn't like Beacon Hills.” 

“Care to vague that up a bit more?” Isaac said, throwing an amused look at his former alpha. For a moment Liam forgot the anger and watched Derek visibly contemplate smacking the younger man and risking the wrath of Scott, Chris, and Melissa. 

“Concordia was a safe haven for those who didn't fit in anywhere else,” Derek answered, ultimately deciding it wasn't worth it. “It was made up of various types of omega weres and other non-predatory supernaturals who fled their normal lives. There weren't many fighters there. They were easy targets for Monroe and her fanatics.”

Liam heard what Derek was saying but he still felt angry. Monroe rolled through a town of seemingly peaceful supernaturals and slaughtered them all for no reason. It didn't matter if they weren't fighters there. She killed innocent people because the McCall Pack was trying to move on with their lives. This was their…

“This is my fault,” Theo said, snapping Liam out of his own self deprecating thoughts. He looked over at his misery radiating boyfriend. Theo was dressed in what was clearly just their hoodie now and Scott’s sweatpants rolled up at the bottom to account for the height difference. His hair was ungelled since he was sleeping just before his midnight run. He looked soft and small. It was a look Liam hated on him. 

“Wait, Theo… what?” Isaac’s confused and highly concerned voice asked. Liam didn't need to look to know that Derek was likely shooting them glances through the rearview mirror. “Theo, I know you have a guilt complex so wide the Grand Canyon is jealous but how is any of this specifically your fault?”

“I remember now,” he answered, quietly. His fingers idly playing with the sleeve of his shirt before he pulled them over his hands. “I dreamt about it. That's what the dreams were. I dreamt about Monroe and her people killing everyone in that town but I couldn't remember until just now.” He took a breath. “If I had just remembered, I could've stopped it. I should've stopped it.”

“Baby, no,” Liam started, already reaching for Theo’s hands. “This is not your fault. You tried to remember what you were dreaming about. You tried so much. How were you supposed to know they were visions in the first place? This is not your fault.” 

“It feels like it.”

“Because you're crazy,” Liam grinned. 

But the grin slid off his face as Theo continued to stare at their joined hands. He sighed. He knew something more was weighing the chimera down. It's something that had been on his mind for quite some time but Liam really hoped he would either let the idea go or talk about it. He really should know Theo better by now. Liam raised their joined hands and kissed his boyfriend's shirt covered knuckles lightly. 

“Monroe isn't your fault either.” Liam knew he had guessed right by the soft shuddering breath Theo tried to hide. He finally lifted his head to meet Liam's gaze. Guilt shimmered in his eyes but there was also hope. Liam squeezed his hand. “She's not. I know you're thinking that it was the Beast that made her the way she is but it wasn't.”

“She watched her coworkers die at the hands of the Beast. She almost died because of the Beast,” Theo retorted with no actual fire behind the words. “It drove her crazy. If it wasn't for me and the Dread Doctors coming to town, she never would've snapped. She would still be a guidance counselor and not a fugitive mass-murdering hunter.” 

“Yeah, I get that but there was clearly something kinda wrong lurking in her. I've witnessed a lot of horrible stuff but I've never decided that a bunch of teenagers deserved to die because of it,” Isaac said. “If it wasn't the Beast, it could've been something else.” 

“And on the note of the Beast, should we hold Mason accountable for this? He was the host of the Beast after all. He's the reason Monroe snapped,” Derek chimed in. Theo’s jaw dropped and a jumbled mess of sputtered protests and outrage tumbled out. The older wolf laughed. “Calm down. Of course, we don't blame Mason. He was a pawn in the Dread Doctors’ plot. Just like you were. We've talked about this, kid. The Dread Doctors were bad but you're not responsible for what they did. That's all on them.”

“Why does it feel like it's my fault?”

“Because you're crazy.” 

This time Theo did crack a small smile. Liam tugged him into his arms. The chimera buried his face on Liam's shoulder and closed his eyes. Liam knew Theo wasn't sleeping but he was quiet, content to trace idle patterns on Liam’s chest. The younger man let him. Derek turned the radio on low while Isaac was busy on his phone. Liam was at least sixty-five percent sure Isaac was reporting everything that just happened to Scott. Because of course, he was. 

Liam bumped that earlier percentage up to a hundred percent when the car door was wrenched open before Derek barely stopped the car. Liam bit his lip in amusement as a somehow surprised Theo was pulled from the car and into the arms of his very worried alpha and brother. Chris hovered on the sidelines, visibly concerned but also aware that no one did mother henning like Scott McCall. 

“You're an idiot,” Scott sighed, wrapping Theo tighter in his arms. Theo tensed at first before melting into the embrace. “You're such a freaking idiot.”

“I… yeah, I guess.” 

Liam snorted and slipped out the car. He went to stand next to Lydia. The banshee seemed more together than before they started this impromptu road trip. She was wearing what was clearly one of the many spare hoodies and shirts they kept around because Jordan tended to burn through clothes faster than even Malia, Derek and Theo could lose them from shifting and forgetting to come back. She looked even smaller bunched in the fabric and her normally sharp eyes had a slightly glassy look similar to Theo's. But there was an air around her that showed she was alert. 

“You feeling better?” Liam asked. Lydia gave him a wan smile. 

“Yeah,” she murmured. Her gaze drifted to Theo and Scott before meeting Liam's again. “How's he doing?”

“Blaming himself for everything per the usual.”

Lydia snorted. “Well it wouldn't be a day if Theo didn't find a way to blame himself for everything going wrong in the world,” she grinned, looking a little lighter. That is until her eyes drifted towards the town in front of them. 

“Lydia… why are we here? Morell said she could get someone out here to check it out tomorrow. Why did we have to come today? And so soon?”

The banshee shook her head. “I don't know. But I know we have to be here. I'm not sure why.”

“You sure you want to go there?” Derek asked, leaning against his car. 

“No,” Lydia answered, smiling ruefully. “But I think I have to. I don't know why we're here but I know I have to go in there. Theo, Mason, and Jordan too.”

Liam glanced over at Theo to find that the chimera was paying careful attention to the conversation. Green met blue and Liam sighed as Theo nodded in agreement. Stupid noble boyfriend always needing to do the right thing when Liam just wanted to protect him and keep him safe in a bubble. Why did he have to be like this? 

“Fine,” Scott huffed, tightening the hold he had on Theo as if he could protect him from whatever they were about to find there. “Let's go then. The sooner we can get this over with the sooner we can figure out what the hell is going on this time.” 

“I swear if this ends up being another Ghost Riders situation,” Mason muttered under his breath even as he and Corey started trudging towards the town. 

Liam snickered, falling in step with his boyfriend and alpha. They walked in silence until the ruins of Concordia lay before them. It was probably beautiful before the hunters arrived. Barely a seven-hour drive from them and home to several different types of supernatural based on what Liam could smell under the overbearing sense of death and decay. 

Concordia was small, smaller than even Beacon Hills. It was probably safer to say it was a larger community rather than a town but that was just nitpicking. Also, it didn't matter as it was utterly decimated. There wasn't a single part that was untouched by the violence and frenzy that Monroe inspired in others. If that wasn't enough to speak of the tragedy that occurred there, the smell of death was heavy in the air around them m. Liam knew he wasn't the only one choking on it. Or in some cases feeling it. 

Jordan’s eyes kept flickering between normal and hellhound. Lydia seemed more anxious the further they stepped into the town. Her entire body thrummed with the energy of a banshee. Mason was equally twitchy, clinging to Corey's arm while his eyes darted all around. And Theo… Theo looked visibly defeated. Liam knew he was still (stupidly) blaming himself for what happened and the visual proof that it happened was almost too much. 

But let it never be said that Theodore Karl Argent was not a masochistic idiot. Because instead of taking the several silent but obvious outs he was given, he took a deep shuddering breath and kept walking into town. Because of course, he did. 

To say that death was all around them, it took them longer than Liam expected before they came across the first body. He thought given the wanton destruction that there would be so many more. But as it was they wandered aimlessly through the ruins for a half an hour before the first house with actual bodies in it. What wasn't surprising was the way that Lydia and the Puppy Pack were left outside while Jordan, Chris, Scott, Derek, and Isaac went inside to check. 

Mason spent the ten minutes they were in the small family-style home staring dejectedly at the building while Lydia and Theo were pacing. Each radiating an almost violently nervous energy. Finally, Scott emerged from the house with a slightly green tint to his skin but a determined look in his eye. He stopped in front of Theo, pulling his brother into yet another hug. The chimera floundered for a moment before raising his arms to wrap around Scott in return. 

“Theo, whatever happened here, it happened more than a week ago.” 

Theo pulled back in surprise. “What?! That's impossible. I didn't start dreaming about it until a couple of days ago. Definitely not a week.” 

“Exactly!” Scott said, bopping him on the head. “You didn't dream about this place until after it happened. You couldn't change anything because you didn't know. This was not your fault.” 

“Oh,” Theo murmured, looking thoughtful. Though Liam noticed he looked relieved but still confused. “But then why would I have a vision about it at all? Why did any of us have a vision? If we weren't meant to save them, why did we all have that vision?”

“And why did I scream?” Lydia added though it seemed more to herself than any of them. There was a pensive look on her face. “Unless… I didn't.”

“I know you were all tranced out but you definitely did,” Isaac drawled. “Pretty sure the whole forest felt that one. I'm just getting back my hearing after that scream..”

“That's the thing. I know I'm powerful but not I'm not that powerful,” Lydia countered. “I've never been able to scream like that before. Not on my own. So what if it wasn't me screaming? Deaton said that this town was a lot like Beacon Hills, right? Lots of different types of supernaturals...”

“You think there was a banshee here,” Mason chimed in. His eyes widened. “Wait, you think that there's still a banshee here. there's a survivor here and she's reaching out to you.” 

“Not to me,” Lydia shook her head. She pointed at Theo. “Him. None of us were looped into this until after Theo was.”

“But why now? Why not when it was happening? And how?”

“Wait, Theo, when did the dreams start? Like exactly what day?” Liam asked. Theo’s brow furrowed as he gave the day that Liam had suspected. “Theo, the visions started on your birthday. Your twenty-first birthday.”

“What does that mean?” Theo whined. “So now I can legally drink while sharing crazy banshee scream-inducing post-death omen dreams with my friends and family? How is that fun?!”

Scott snorted, squeezing Theo's shoulder. “I don't know what it means yet. But it does mean that we need to get our hands on the Dread Doctors’ journals. Obviously something isn't adding up but that's something to worry about later. For now, we have a survivor to find.” 

“Right,” Theo muttered. He shook his shoulders as if shaking off the tension they could all see clinging to him. Then he reached a hand out to Liam. The beta snorted before grabbing his hand, tangling their fingers together and walking with him and the others further into town.

* * *

Another hour later, they were all getting frustrated. The sun was starting to set and the longer they walked, the more upset they got. There was nothing but death all around them. Jordan had long given up on even pretending to be human and was in full hellhound mode. Mason kept drifting away and was stumbling next to a visibly agitated Corey. Theo's anxiety was skyrocketing with every step they took. Lydia was outwardly the calmest but Liam knew her well enough to know she was feeling the same tension as the others. 

“Okay, that's it!” Lydia snapped after yet another half an hour. “There are too many wolves here. If you're not a death omen or death omen adjacent in Mason’s case then you need to go.” She paused, pinching the bridge of her nose as Theo was the first to turn away. “Theo! I swear to… get your ass back over here! The rest of you need to go.” 

“But why?” Scott asked, practically pouting. 

“Because there is a scared banshee hiding in this town. Clearly, they only felt comfortable reaching out to us. So having you all around while we’re looking isn’t working. So shoo. Don’t worry. Jordan, Mason, Theo, and I will find her.” 

“We will?” Theo murmured, looking like he doubted that very much. 

“We will,” Lydia said firmly. 

Theo sighed. “Yeah, we will.” 

“Alright. You heard him. Now shoo.” 

Liam heard Scott and Chris give a few more token protests but it was hard to be defiant in the face of Lydia Martin. Especially when she had her scary hellhound boyfriend to back her up. So instead of supporting Theo, Liam was trudging back to the car with an equally sulky Scott and Corey. Derek, Issac, and Chris were as cool as ever but he was getting better at reading each of them. He knew they were just as upset. Just better at hiding it. 

“So now what the hell are we supposed to do?” Liam sighed as the cars came in sight. “We’re just supposed to sit here and wait for them to come back?” 

“Well, you always pick up a book and get started on the next piece of this puzzle, Little Wolf.” 

Liam was happy to note that he wasn’t the only one who froze at the sudden voice. A sharp smile gleaned at them from the darkness. Several eyes flashed golden, red, and blue while Chris swung his flashlight up to reveal a young woman perched on the hood of Derek’s car. 

“Braden?!” Derek asked, eyes wide. 

“Hey, lover,” she smirked. Derek paled slightly pulling a giggle from the mercenary. “Oh relax, grumpy. I know you’re with Stiles. I’m not here to renew our torrid love affair. My assistance was requested last night. I finished the job early and decided to swing by and catch up for a bit.” 

“Assistance with what?” Derek asked, arching an eyebrow. 

Her answer was interrupted by the arrival of two new people. Chris turned his flashlight on an irritated Morell and an annoyed Deaton. Braeden’s smirk grew even as Marin’s frown grew. Liam bit on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Ha. Now they knew what it was like to have someone show up all mysterious and cryptic like. 

“Really? You literally had to go out of your way to get here over instead of just coming back to town,” Morell said, rolling her eyes. Braeden winked. Morell looked like she was contemplating asking Chris for his gun. Finally, she settled for sighing. “Did you get what I asked for?”

“Don't give me that face,” Braeden grinned. She picked up the previously unnoticed stack of books beside her. “And of course I got what you asked me for. Although why you wanted me to go into that funky ass sewer, I'll never understand. All for some books.”

“Wait,” Scott stepped forward, already reaching for the books. Braeden hesitated but a nod from Morell had her handing the books over. “These are the journals from the Dread Doctors. These are their notes on Theo. Including the Geneticist’s notes.”

“Like her private notes?” Liam asked interest piqued. 

“Let's just say those were a lot more difficult to get to than the others,” Braeden muttered, cryptically, and offered no further elaboration. She nodded her head towards the top book on the pile. “You think this has the answers to what's going on with your boy?” 

“Only one way to find out,” Liam grunted, taking the notebook from Scott’s hand and settling on the ground. Derek, Corey, and Scott all picked up a book of their own, trusting Liam to read through the Geneticist on his own. 

Though part of him was still worrying about Theo and the others, he had to admit that reading through the notes of the person in the Dread Doctors that helped keep Theo at least somewhat human was intriguing. The notes were clinical by nature but there was an underlying affection there that gave him more insight into who Theo was then. If it wasn't for the Geneticist, he would've been the monster he truly thought he was. The things they did to him were… horrific. But the Geneticist helped patch him up after too many experiments. She would send him on missions that enabled him to blend in and be a normal child at least for a little while. She kept him as human as she could while still being part of the Dread Doctors. 

She tortured and killed so many children yet spared Theo the same treatment. She went out of her way to make sure he didn't end up like Adam before him. It was confusing. She wasn't a good person. Honestly, she and the others were more monsters than they were and yet… it was clear from her words that she came as close as someone like her could to loving Theo. She cared about him, protected him. It was a weird almost maternal relationship. 

Liam closed the book with a deep sigh. While this was all fascinating and a deep dive into the psyche of a psycho, it wasn't helping him figure out what was going on with Theo now. And that was his primary concern. Something was obviously changing in the chimera but what?

“Huh,” Scott said, flipping through several of the pages in the book on his lap. “It was the Doctors who started calling him the chimera of death. Back when he was a kid.” 

“So before he even killed anyone,” Chris murmured, brow furrowing. He flicked through a few pages in the journal propped up on the car. “Yeah, that was referred to him by that name a lot.”

“What's a black dog?” Corey asked, puzzling over a page in his own journal. “The Surgeon mentions it when talking about the procedure to make Theo into a chimera. He keeps referring to Theo as the black dog.”

“Maybe he's talking about his full shift?” 

“Maybe,” Corey agreed but didn't look convinced. Deaton apparently agreed as he asked to look at the book Corey was reading. 

“Oh,” he finally murmured. His eyes darting up to meet Marin’s. “I think we need to look into the Raeken family. There are some things that aren't quite adding up.” 

“The Raekens? Why? What's going on?” Chris snapped impatiently. 

“I'm not sure yet what they mean by a black dog. But I've heard of that before. If my hunch is correct, then everything we know about Theo is wrong. Honestly, everything he knows about himself is wrong.” 

“What do you mean?” Liam’s heart clenched. 

“I'm not quite sure,” Deaton admitted. “I need to do some more research into this. But I think that the Doctors lied to Theo. They told him he was the first human that they turned into a chimera. But I never understood how that worked.” 

“We know Adam was already supernatural when they operated on him. Corey and the others weren't when the Doctors attempted the same procedure on them but they all died too,” Derek said, picking up on Deaton’s thought. 

“We were failures,” Corey murmured. “That's what the Doctors called us. Failures like all the others. We all died but Theo… Theo brought us back. He fixed what the Doctors couldn’t do. Made us stable and he brought us back.”

“Exactly,” Deaton pointed in his direction with a sympathetic look. “Things don't add up. If they already took a human child and turned him into a chimera why did they struggle with doing it again? Why had they perfected it with Theo but not anyone else ever? And then ultimately they had to use a genetic chimera for the host of the Beast.” 

“Because they never perfected it,” Scott answered slowly. “Because they never took a human child and made him into a chimera. They got another supernatural child and turned him into something else.” 

“Yes. Exactly what I'm thinking.” 

“Wait,” Liam held up a hand, shaking his head. “You're saying that Theo is actually… a supernatural?”

“It's starting to look that way. I believe that Theo has always had this connection with death and it's linked to something he's been all his life. Something that was dormant either because of what the Doctors did or his age. Not sure. But I have a better idea of where to look to start getting some answers as to what’s happening with him.” 

Liam did not feel reassured which meant that Theo was definitely not going to feel any better. His whole life he suffered under the belief that he wasn't enough. Even after becoming a chimera, he wasn't enough because he wasn't supernatural. Now it turns out, he might have been one all along. And the Doctors lied to him. They hid it from him. Made him believe he still wasn't enough. 

“Mason is calling me,” Corey's voice snapped Liam out of his spiraling thoughts. The chameleon chimera answered the call, putting it on speaker for the less gifted hearing. “Babe, you're on speaker. Did you find the banshee?” 

“ _ Uh, yeah _ ,” Mason’s voice came through hesitantly. “ _ You see…. the thing is… _ .” Mason trailed off as there was an audible struggle for the phone. 

“ _ Hey, so we need Scott, Argent, and Liam to meet us at 1501 Hummingbird Lane, _ ” Lydia snapped over Mason’s whines in the background. 

“Did you guys find the banshee?” 

“Is Theo okay? Actually are all of you okay?”

“ _ We're fine _ ,” Lydia huffed. “ _ Well Jordan is knocked out but he'll be fine. Mason is pouting because I took his phone. And Theo is with twins. _ ” 

“Twins? I thought you were looking for a banshee.” 

“ _ We were and we did. _ ”

“One of the twins is the surviving banshee?” 

“ _ I don't have time for this _ ,” Lydia sighed. “ _ Just get over here. _ ” 

With that said, Lydia hung up. The rest of them exchanged looks turning this new information over. Finally, Scott shrugged. 

“You heard the lady, let's go meet the twins.”

“I'm going to take these with me and do some more research,” Deaton said, collecting the rest of the books. Marin and Braeden helped him and within a few minutes, they were disappearing into the woods. 

“Do you think they parked a car back there and dramatically walked out here to be mysterious or…?” Isaac asked, eyes narrowed and trained on where the Druids and mercenary disappeared. “Also why did no one tell me Derek and Braeden were a thing? Like for real? How long did that happen? Someone couldn't just drop a line and tell me? And by someone, I mean my dumbass boyfriend who I was in touch with the whole damn time!”

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Scott declared loudly. “We don't want to be late meeting Lydia! Come along, Chris, Liam, time to go now!”

“Does he really think talking louder is going to make this go away?” Liam snickered even as the delusional alpha pulled them away from his other half who promptly turned on Derek. 

“Don't ask me. He's your dumbass alpha.”

Liam opened his mouth to counter that but he couldn't. Scott was his dumbass alpha. But… “Yeah, well, he's your dumbass son.”

Chris stumbled and his scent was a mix of confused and pleased. Liam snorted. Honestly, the whole pack was a bunch of dumbasses. Well, except Lydia. They all shared one brain cell and Lydia was holding it the whole time. 

But they were his pack, his family. And he wouldn't change a thing about them. They might not be the brightest but they tried. They supported each other. Liam had no doubt in his mind that they would figure out what to do with two overpowered banshee twins. They would also figure out what was happening with Theo. And then they would regroup and figure out what to do with Monroe once and for all. They let her linger for too long and it cost several people their lives.

It was long past time for them to continue the war she started four years ago. And when they did, this time they were going to finish it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed.


	3. Sad Ass Death Omen Club No One Wants To Be A Part Of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back with the last chapter at last. I struggled with this chapter like I knew I would. I honestly didn't want to go into Theo's POV but his part ended up being my favorite part of this whole story. So I had to go with it. And then Chris got me at the end. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Theo was not having a good day. Actually, he wasn't having a good week. Still, seeing as how that was why they were traipsing through the hollowed ruins of Concordia, he felt secure in only mentioning how spectacularly shitty today was because today was epically shitty. 

First, he woke up naked and not in his bed, which is honestly the only place he felt even remotely comfortable waking up naked. Second, he was apparently tapped into some kind of freaky four-way death omen vision that mimicked the nightmares plaguing him for the past few days. Then third, and this was the icing on the shit cake, everyone seemed real content with calling him a death omen now. He had one little shared vision with the Team Death Omen and their Druid and suddenly they were referring to him as a death omen. Which was utterly ridiculous because he wasn’t… he couldn’t be… he definitely wasn’t… 

“I'm a fucking death omen, aren't I?” Theo grumbled, coming to an abrupt halt in their depressing parade through the town. 

Mason and Jordan merely gave him sympathetic pats as if welcoming him to the sad-ass club he never asked to be a part of before continuing on. Lydia sighed, looping her arm through his. He pouted looking down at the redheaded banshee. 

“I didn't ask for this,” he pointed out. 

“Pretty sure none of us did.”

“I don't want this.”

“Not sure any of us wanted any of this aside from Mason but he's a weirdo”

“I'm not even supernatural!”

“I think we both know that's not true,” Lydia countered, raising an eyebrow. “I don't know if this is a side effect of sending you to hell, or the many times you've almost died or something you were always meant to be, but you're a death omen, Theo.” She cupped his cheek. Her smile was wistful and a little sad. “You are the chimera of death.” 

That damn nickname. He never knew how it started but it was just there. Lingering over him no matter how much he tried to move past it. Everyone knew him as the chimera of death. But he never understood why. He never had any actual blood on his hands before Tracey and Josh but the nickname existed long before then. 

“I've always been this way.” It wasn't a question but Lydia nodded anyway. He swallowed. “What do I do? How…?”

“I don't know. But is it really that surprising?” 

Theo wanted to argue but he couldn't. He didn't know what he did to earn the nickname but he knew it was accurate. He just didn't know how or why. But he knew there was something about death that called to him. He usually ignored it. But there was one time…

“Gabe,” he whispered out loud. Lydia nodded. 

“You tried taking Mason's pain but you couldn't. Yet you were able to take Gabe’s pain easily while he was dying only a few days later,” Lydia said. “You knew that you could do it. Liam told me that he's never seen someone take away someone’s pain so quickly before. Especially someone who never did it before.”

Theo tugged at his shirtsleeves absently. Nothing Lydia was saying was wrong. And that was the problem. He operated under a certain belief his whole life but this was throwing it all out the window. Because if he was supernatural, that meant the Doctors lied to him. And even more than that… his parents had to be supernatural too. Also, how did it work? He was so sick when he was a child. He had a heart condition and asthma. He was on the verge of death almost every day before the Doctors found him. He's never heard of any supernatural that was on that level of sickness. 

He raked his free hand through his hair. The point of coming home was to find out what was happening but at every given turn he was finding more and more questions. It was frustrating and he was getting more and more anxious. Everything was starting to feel hopeless. He didn’t understand how he was supposed to keep going like this. Why can’t they just find him…. Wait…. 

“Um, I think I’m feeling things I’m not supposed to be feeling.” 

Mason and Jordan turned around with matching expressions of confusion. Lydia simply raised an eyebrow. Theo rolled his eyes. “I was just thinking and suddenly I felt this burst of anxiety and the need for someone to find me.” 

“The banshee!” Mason yelled. “You aren't having post-death visions. You're connected to the banshee. You can see what she saw and you're feeling what she's feeling.” 

“This day just gets better and better,” Theo muttered. He sighed, tugging off his hoodie and handing it to Mason. Then he reached for his shirt. 

“Dude! W is not the time to start stripping!” 

“Well, I asked you to come up with a spell that saved my clothes when I shift but you didn't. So here we are.” 

“Ugh,” Mason groaned, turning around with a dramatic whine. 

Theo rolled his eyes and quickly shed the rest of his clothes. He pointedly ignored the fact that neither Jordan nor Lydia turned around. Jerks. Instead, he gave into the shift. The pain of his bones literally breaking and reforming never got any easier to deal with but it was quickly forgotten as the shift took over. 

Everything was sharper when he was like this. The misery embedded in the town. The stench of death. But so was the feeling of fear. He repressed the urge to howl at the anxiety he felt pressing against him. He knew it wasn't him. But he felt it like it was his own. And there was more than just that. There was concern mixed with warm affection and confusion. His head swiveled towards Lydia who was staring at him with wide eyes. 

“You can feel me too?” Lydia asked. Theo barked. She blinked. “Well, that’s a new thing. You think you can get a lock on our missing banshee?” 

Theo barked again and took off, trusting that they would keep up with him. He didn't really know where he was going, just going on blind instinct. The fact that his instincts were leading him to find a person he didn't know was straight-up terrifying but he would let himself give into that fear later. For now, he was just going to focus on finding the banshee, getting her out of this ghost town, and then giving in to the panic-inducing journey that would be finding out what he really was. Because it was beyond obvious at this point that he wasn't what he thought he was. 

“Is this it?” 

Theo jolted as he realized that he had stopped in front of what was clearly once a house. He didn't know what it looked like before but it was little more than ash now. Somehow in the midst of his spiraling thoughts and borrowed emotions, he had wandered into the remains of the home. 

“Is that a door?” Jordan asked, coming to stand next to Theo. He kneeled down and poked at what appeared to be a steel door. “Good boy!” 

Theo growled before pawing pointedly at the ground. Jordan snickered and took the hint to pry the door open. It took some effort as it was practically melted shut. But it was ultimately no match for a very determined hellhound. The door led down a pair of rickety-looking stairs into a dark basement. 

The four friends exchanged looks before three turned decisively towards one. Jordan sighed and Theo almost felt bad for him. But not really. The basement looked super creepy and there was no telling what they were going to find down there. He was not in the mood to shift back right now and that was the only way he would feel comfortable going down there. It was the definition of dark and creepy. There was literally no way of knowing what was down there.

That ended up being the understatement of the century as Jordan didn't even make it to the bottom of the stairs before a too familiar screech sent him flying backward. Theo managed to jump out of the way, pulling Lydia with him with his teeth. It wasn't enough to save Mason though and the pair collided and rolled a short distance away. 

Theo popped up and stood in front of Lydia as protectively as he could while still in canine form. The banshee behind him was equally defensive and had energy swirling around her hands. Energy that faded as they finally looked at their attacker… or rather their attackers. Huddled in the farthest corner of the basement with one flickering candle behind them were two little girls. Dark gray eyes glared at them and they held on to each other fiercely. 

“Oh my god,” Lydia gasped, eyes darting between the pair in front of them. “They’re both banshees.” 

Theo felt her surprise mingling with an overwhelming sense of panic and fear. It was overwhelming because it was coming from them both. Damn. Twin banshees. That was definitely not something he ever imagined happening. But it made sense. The girls appeared to be identical from where he was standing. So it made sense that they would both be banshees. Still, twin banshees that apparently were well aware of what they were and didn’t appear to be more than ten years old? This was definitely a Problem. 

Lydia stepped forward, flinching when the girls took a collective step back. She mustered a comforting smile. “Hello,” she tried. She held a hand up and let the banshee energy she generated for her screams trail over her hands. The girls watched her fascinated but still not any less defensive. “My name is Lydia. I’m just like you. You both.” 

The girls tilted their heads to the side but still didn’t seem any less cautious. But Theo felt curiosity. He felt intrigued. He wasn’t surprised when he saw their gaze on him. Theo barked softly. Lydia murmured quietly when she picked up on the same thing. 

“This is my friend, Theo. He’s actually a real boy but he can also turn into a wolf.” 

“Dog,” one of the girls said. 

Lydia nodded. “Yes, he’s like a dog. But he’s actually a wolf. Well, wolf and coyote.” 

“No, he’s a dog.” 

“Okay, sure. He’s a dog,” Lydia agreed, with all the patience of a woman who wanted to be anywhere but where she was. Theo snorted. She popped him over his wagging tail. “The point is Theo is different. He can be a dog but he’s also a human. He’s our friend. You can feel him. I can feel him too.” 

The girls stared at him with wide eyes. Theo tilted his head to the side as he felt the insistent pull from them. He took a hesitant step forward, large body moving slowly to lessen the chance of them thinking he was a threat. They watched his every move but didn't stop him or shrink away. 

He finally came to a stop in front of them, lowering himself to the floor in front of the girls. Up close he could see that they weren't just virtually identical, they were practically clones of one another. From the dark gray orbs to the smattering of brown freckles that covered light bronze color skin and the black hair hung over painfully thin shoulders. Because he was so close to them, he could see the moment their eyes softened. The tension unfurling from their small bodies as they kneeled down beside him. 

The room was silent as they watched one of the girls reach towards Theo with a trembling hand. He snuffed and the hand landed on his fur. He heard one of them whisper “soft” before four sets of fingers were coursing through the fur on his back. He heard Mason cooing and then the telltale sounds of a shutter going off. He was going to kill him. Later. 

Right now his entire focus centered down to the two girls that had settled down by him. Any apprehension they had faded as they had their faces hidden on his left side. The side shielding them from the scrutiny of the other two. Theo started to make some dismissive comment (well the best he could while still shifted) when he felt his fur getting wet. He huffed when he realized that the girls were crying. 

Theo got comfortable on the ground, all insulting comments towards Mason fleeing as he felt the various emotions the two girls were feeling pouring into him like they were his own. He didn't know if it worked both ways and they could feel him but the least he could do was sit still and let them cry it out. The time for questions and revenge against certain druids would come later. For now, he was going to let them cry. 

* * *

Liam honestly didn't know what to expect when they finally made it to the address Lydia gave them but it wasn't what they found. For starters, they almost didn't find the place to begin with, having to rely on the tracker Argent managed to slip in Theo's water before they started this road trip. He was really going to have to start checking his boyfriend's food and drinks going forward. Honestly, it would probably be best to check all their food and drinks going forward. Melissa might have tamed him but Chris was still a hunter who enjoyed using his tricks against his extended family for his own twisted sense of fun. 

Still, it came in handy as they easily found their missing pack members waiting in a basement of what was clearly a burned down home. They made their way down the stairs to find Lydia leaned up against a wall beside a groggy looking Jordan and Mason gleefully taking pictures of a shifted Theo who was being held by two little girls. The twins. Huh. The added presence of Scott, Liam, and Chris caused both girls to tense. 

“No, it’s okay. They're safe. We know them,” Lydia said, scrambling forward before they could move. The girls stopped but were still tense as they stared at Lydia. “This is Liam, Chris, and Scott. Scott is the Alpha of our pack. Liam is his beta and he's Theo’s boyfriend. Chris is like our unofficial kind of official dad. But he’s Scott and Theo’s official official dad.” Just like that, the girls softened. They looked down at Theo, who huffed in their direction. 

That was apparently all they needed as they let go of his fur and chose to stand beside him instead. Scott approached them slowly, kneeling down beside his brother and the twins. The little banshees watched as Theo leaned the bulk of his weight against Scott seeking the comfort and warmth he offered. Apparently, that was all they needed as they instantly trusted at least Scott. 

“Hey, you want to go get changed?” Scott asked Theo, running a hand through his brother’s shaggy fur. Theo bumped his nose against Scott’s chin. The alpha smiled and rested his forehead against Theo’s for a moment. Then he was looking back at the twins. “Hey, uh, you guys mind if Liam takes Theo upstairs for a bit so he can change? I promise I’ll stay with you. Me and Lydia.” 

“Okay,” one of the girls answered, sending Theo one last look before clutching her twin’s hand tightly. Lydia shoved a bundle of fabrics in Liam’s hands that he barely had time to register as Theo’s clothes before said Theo was trotting up the stairs. 

Liam wasn’t even up the stairs before he heard the sounds of Theo shifting back to his human body. He barely crossed the top of the steps before he had his arms full of trembling chimera. Normally a naked Theo in his arms would be exciting but these were far from normal times. Now, he could only hold on, dropping the clothes to the floor as he held onto Theo. He trailed a hand over Theo's back. He pressed soft kisses against whatever skin he could reach from the confines of their tight embrace.

“Hey, you did good. You did so well, baby. It's okay. It's all okay.”

“Li.. something is happening to me.”

Liam pulled away, cupping the teary-eyed chimera’s cheeks gently. “I know. I know it's happening and I know it's scary. I'm scared for you. But Braeden is back. She's got the Doctors’ journals. Deaton and Morrell are going over them now. We're going to figure this out.” 

“The journals…” Theo trailed off, biting his lip. “So you think I'm supernatural too.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I do,” Liam admitted. 

“Damn it. I was really hoping you weren’t going to say that,” Theo whined, burying his face in Liam's neck again. The beta snorted and continued rocking his boyfriend in his arms. 

“I know you're scared because I am too. But I think it's okay. I think that whatever is happening to you was meant to be. This is who you were supposed to be all along. And it's beautiful.”

“Yeah?” Theo asked voice muffled from where he was still hiding on Liam. 

“Yeah,” Liam said, firmly. Theo sighed heavily but Liam could feel the tension draining out of him as he did. “I’m going to be with you every step of the way. You’re not alone in this.” 

“I would totally kiss you right now. But I'm very naked and my very terrifying, overprotective, gun-toting, willing to drug everyone, and everything dad is right downstairs.” 

“Safe move!” Chris yelled up the stairs bringing a smile to both of their faces. 

Liam pulled back and retrieved the clothes he dropped. Between the two of them, Theo was dressed quickly. Liam would also note that it was entirely more fun to take Theo's clothes off but there was the fact that his father, brother, their friends, and two traumatized little girls were literally standing right under them. That definitely helped to kill the mood a bit. 

As soon as he was done putting his shoes back on, Theo was turning on his heels and heading back downstairs. Chris stopped him for a moment, pulling him in for a hug and helping him to further recenter before heading over to the twins. Liam stood next to Chris and accepted the hair ruffling with the expected feigned annoyance. Chris smirked at him. They turned back to watch Theo plopping down on the ground in front of the twins with his legs crossed. The girls regarded him curiously before clapping in delight. Theo laughed and held his arms open for them both to dive into his embrace. They sat on his lap, clearly trusting him implicitly. 

“Hey there, little ladies.” 

“You are a real boy!” 

Theo laughed again, his expression soft and fond. “Yes, I am. Lydia wasn't wrong. I'm a real boy. You already know that I'm Theo. What are your names?”

“I'm Gabriella,” the more talkative of the twins said. She was tugging at the string to his hood while her sister was examining Theo’s hand with a quiet yet adorable intensity. “That’s Isabella. She's my sister!”

“Is she now?” Theo asked, eyes narrowing. He made a show of looking both girls in the face before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I guess I kinda see the resemblance. A little bit.”

“We're twins!” Gabriella said with childish indignation in her voice. Theo feigned confusion until Isabella was giggling softly in his side. 

“Well, Gabriella and Isabella, meet my brother. This is Scott.”

“You don't look alike,” Isabella said, her tiny face pinched in confusion. 

Theo motioned for Scott to sit down next to them so that they weren't all looking up. The alpha did so immediately. The two girls tilted towards him but didn't stray away from Theo's arms. Liam could relate.

“Well, that's because I'm adopted. A few years ago, I was on my own but Scott took me in. He gave me a family. That's our dad over there. And we have a mom and another brother at home.” 

“Could we…” Isabella trailed off. “We're alone now. The bad people came and now everyone is gone.” 

“Were you living with your parents?”

“No, mommy died a long time ago,” Gabriella answered. “But her friend brought us here. We lived with Granny. But now she's gone too.” 

“I…” Scott started but closed his mouth just as quickly. He then looked up to Chris, who was watching them all with a soft look on his face. “They definitely can't stay here.”

“And we can't just put them in a regular foster home. They're banshees,” Mason chimed in. “It just makes sense to bring them back with us. But… where?”

“Well… mom did say next time bring her girls,” Theo shrugged. Scott's eyes widened before looking from the chimera to the two girls then to Chris. The former hunter shrugged. 

“None of you boys really live at home anymore. Alec is graduating soon and he's been dropping hints like anvils that he wants to move in with Lori, Hayden, and Nolan when he does. Your mom and I were actually a little sad about the empty nest but seems like we can put that off a little longer.” 

“Yeah?” Scott grinned. 

“Yeah.” 

“What does that mean?” Gabriella asked, tugging on Theo's hair to get his attention. He smiled down at her. 

“It means that you're coming home with us. You're going to be part of our family,” Scott said right before he had a twin in his arms, small arms winding around his neck in a hug. He chuckled returning the embrace for a moment before smoothly rising to his feet and adjusting Isabella’s weight in his arms to his hip. Theo did the same, throwing a smile in Liam's direction as he did. 

“Welp, time to go home and let Alec be the favorite child for a couple of days,” Theo said, as they finally made their way out of the house. 

“Bold of you to assume bringing home two children will make you any less the favorite,” Scott retorted. “You totally have permanent favorite child status.” 

“Dad? Is that true?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that the position even exists much less which one of you has it,” Chris grinned. “But I can totally assure you that bringing home two children will definitely not knock you out of that position if it did exist.”

“I hate this family,” Theo muttered, burying his red face on Gabriella’s shoulder. The little girl patted him while giggling. Yeah, they were going to fit in just fine. 

* * *

Not that Liam was really worried about it but the twins settled into life with the McCall-Argent family like they had been there all along. With a bit of research, they were able to piece together their lives prior to living in Concordia. Their mother died during childbirth seven years ago and the father was never around, to begin with. A friend of their mother dropped the two girls in Concordia before taking off. She was an older werewolf with no children of her own and another friend of the family she raised the girls pretty much from birth. And then… well, she was gone too. So it didn't take much effort to get custody of the girls. 

Melissa took the new additions with the same grace and humor she did everything. And because she was their mother, she actually did thank Theo and Scott for finally bringing home girls before promptly scooping her new daughters up and taking them out of a girl's day with Jenna, Lydia and Peter's black credit card. Alec gave a token whining protest about no longer being the youngest before promptly vying to be their second favorite brother. Top honors, of course, went to Theo, who somehow was utterly amazed that the two girls he heard from practically two towns away and subsequently rescued from the burned down remains of their old home would adore him. The boy was pretty but so dumb. It was a good thing Liam was in this for the long haul because… Theo was so smart yet so dumb. 

Anyway, the point of all this was that despite Theo’s ongoing attempts to show just how dumb he was, Gabby and Izzy, as they insisted on being called after their first day in their new home, settled in just fine. Even Fiji liked them and Liam was convinced that his boyfriend's conspicuously never aging, hyper-protective cat didn't like anyone but Theo and Melissa because she fed her. But actually, that wasn't entirely true. Besides the twins, there was one other pack member she liked: Lydia. 

Liam kept that realization to himself, however. They had been back from their impromptu road trip to Concordia for a little over a month now and Deaton had been gone for almost that exact amount of time. The fact that he took Peter and Derek with him was also concerning. And the longer they were gone, the more Theo started to grow anxious about what was happening with him. Though he hadn't had any more visions since Concordia, it was something itching under his skin that was growing worse with every passing moment with no answers. 

And then finally, at last, they got the call they were waiting for: Deaton was back and wanted to meet with Theo and whoever else wanted to be there. He cautioned it wasn't probably a story for little ears, so Melissa thought it was best that the twins stay home. What followed was a hilarious argument over who would stay with them versus who would go with Theo to get answers that was only solved when Theo announced that Lydia picked the girls up ten minutes into the hour long argument. 

And so Theo along with Liam, Scott, Chris, Melissa, Alec, Mason, Corey, and Isaac met with Deaton, Peter, and Derek at the clinic to finally get some answers as to what was going on with Theo. Well, hopefully. This was Deaton they were dealing with. Liam really hoped they had some solid answers because he wasn't sure Theo could survive this limbo he was living in. Then again, given the nerves he could feel from Theo coupled with the almost painfully tight grip the chimera had on his hand, Liam wasn't entirely sure 

“Hey, before we go in there,” Scott started, just outside the doors to the clinic. “Nothing changes.” 

“Well something is going to change,” Theo retorted, looking down at the ground.

“We’re just going to find out the truth. But nothing else changes. You're still my family. You're still in the Pack. Nothing changes.”

Theo let out a soft breath and Liam could feel some of the tension fading. He squeezed his hand lightly and smiled feeling the pressure returned. And apparently that was all that needed to be said as they finally made their way inside. Deaton was at the front desk, looking over some paperwork and they could see Peter in the back, fiddling with the stuff Deaton usually told them they weren’t allowed to touch. Derek was sitting on the counter, shaking his head at his uncle. 

“Well, well, it’s about time you showed up.” 

“Peter, don’t start,” Chris warned. Peter’s eyes flashed and a dangerous smirk tugged at his lips. That is until Derek slapped him on the back of the head. Peter rubbed the sore spot, grumbling about being grossly misunderstood by this whole pack. 

“Do you see what I’ve had to deal with for the past few weeks?” Deaton asked as he strolled into the room, carrying a few of the books they knew belonged to the Doctors as well as a few other ones. 

“I weep for your lost sanity,” Theo murmured. He swallowed. “So… you know?” 

“Yeah, we have a pretty good idea. That’s what took me so long. I had to do a lot of research into separating fact from fiction. And then there was the issue of your parents. Sorry for the delay. But we know what’s going on with you.” 

“Right,” Theo sighed, his hands fidgeting slightly. “So what’s…. What am I?” 

Deaton gave him a small smile. “You’re something incredible. Like we all knew you were. You’re something very rare. But in retrospect given your connection with another member of the pack, it makes perfect sense.” 

“Huh? Connection, like the thing I have with Liam?” 

“No, but I have some theories about that as well we can explore at another time,” Deaton grinned. “How much do you know about the fae?” 

“Fae… like fairies?!” Alec squeaked. “You’re saying Theo is a fairy?!” 

“Not now, Alec,” Melissa grumbled. 

“Nope,” Theo said, shaking his head. “I’m with the brat. I’m a fairy?! Like Tinkerbell fairy? Like 'it's dangerous to go alone’ fairies?!” 

Deaton laughed. “Not exactly. The fae is a large classification of supernatural. You’re a member of the fae but you are not the only one. Counting you, we actually have five now.” 

Liam groaned. “I’m an idiot. Banshee literally means woman of the fairy mound! Lydia and the twins are fae as well?” 

“Yes. I knew you would catch on,” Deaton nodded in his direction. “Lydia is indeed a member of the fae and she is a death omen in Irish and Scottish cultures. And so are you, Theo. The Doctors were only able to make you into a chimera because they had a supernatural base to work with. You’re a black dog.” 

“What the hell is a black dog?” Isaac asked, seemingly against his will. “Why have we never heard of this before?”

“They are incredibly rare. So rare people just thought they were myths.” 

“Black dogs are usually considered spirits,” Liam picked up, sensing the growing confusion. “There have been stories throughout the ages of dogs that usher people to the next life or are guardians of death. They’re… death omens. It’s actually a myth pretty interchangeable throughout history with hellhounds but different enough as we currently have a hellhound on the team.” 

“But they told me I was a werewolf and werecoyote,” Theo said, biting his lip. His hands flexed at his sides before he shoved them in his pockets. “So what part of that is wrong?” 

“You do have some coyote genetics courtesy of their experiments with but you’re a black dog/werewolf hybrid and not because of the Doctors,” Deaton sighed. “It’s because you already had the dormant werewolf genes that were just kickstarted by having the heart of a wolf.” 

“The heart….” Theo trailed off as his hand reached up to cover the rapidly beating organ. His eyes were glassy. “Tara? Tara was…. She wasn’t a wolf. Because that would mean… wait, our parents?”

“According to all the records that we were able to gather,” Deaton started, indicating the massive piles of books and charts gathered in the room. “It was your mother who was the carrier at least of the black dog genes. Your father was a werewolf. Somehow the wolf genes passed you. Because from what I’ve read black dogs are almost always male. I believe that your black dog genetics pushed the wolf to the side.” 

“So my dad and Tara… they were werewolves?” 

“And they were just living in Beacon Hills?” Scott asked, shooting a concerned look at Theo. “This is Hale territory. I can’t believe that Theo’s dad was part of the Hale pack and we just never knew.” 

“That’s because he wasn’t,” Peter said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Theo’s sperm donor was an omega. He left his pack… that’s not quite right. He was forced out of his pack after he killed the brother of his former alpha. He fled. Somewhere along the way, he got married and by the time they settled in Beacon Hills, they already had Tara and were expecting Theo. Talia wouldn’t allow him to be part of the pack but she had always had a soft spot for children. So she offered her protection.” 

“You… you met my parents?”

“I didn't recognize the name at first. But when Alan showed me a picture of your father, I remembered. He was an awful man. Talia sensed it too. But your mother… she didn't appear to be supernatural but I see now that she was the carrier of the black dog. She was fascinating. So Talia granted her, and your father, protection. And it appears they changed their name upon settling in town. Probably better to hide from his old pack.” 

Theo ran a hand through his hair, settling against the exam table. Liam could see his hand trembling but he didn't appear to want physical contact at the moment. Liam could respect that. For now. 

“If I was… I am supernatural… why was I so sick as a child? I had a heart condition. They said… they told me I wasn't going to live past ten. Fifteen if I was lucky. How could I…? Supernaturals don't get sick like that.” 

Deaton pushed one of the books over. “This is everything I could find on black dogs. But to answer your question now… there's a reason black dogs are rare, Theo. They're only passed down to males. And only a few survive childhood. They don't access their supernatural abilities until adulthood.”

“And mostly all cultures agree that twenty-one is a mark of adulthood,” Liam finished, looking at his boyfriend. He could almost hear the gears whirring in his brain. 

“If the Doctors didn't give me Tara's heart, I probably would've died,” Theo whispered, his hand clutching his chest. “This is all my fault. She should be here. She shouldn't… this is my fault.” 

“Theo, no,” Melissa crooned, crossing the room to stand in front of the very miserable chimera. “None of this is your fault. We've had this talk before and I'll have it as many times as it takes. It wasn't your fault what happened with the Dread Doctors. It wasn't your fault they targeted you or Tara. The only thing you did was survive and I know you feel otherwise but I can never be mad about that.” 

“Mom…” Theo trailed off, voice cracking in a heartbreaking way. Melissa nodded and pulled him into her arms. 

“I know, baby. I know,” Melissa crooned, rocking the man in her arms. It never ceased to amuse or comfort Liam that no matter how muscular Theo got, he folded perfectly into Melissa's arms whenever he allowed himself that comfort.

There would be more breakdowns in the future, Liam already knew. There were a lot of terrible things left unsaid. a lot about Theo's life that would need to be addressed and explored. Especially given that apparently Jonathan Raeken was a werewolf and one that habitually beat his own son because he somehow wasn't. Liam has never regretted that Theo’s waste of flesh biological parents were dead before but he wished they were alive so he could punch them both in the face. They also had to face the messy truth that the Doctors saved Theo's life, in the worst way possible. 

For now, Melissa seemed to help put the worst of it away. None of them missed how his hand strayed to his chest every so often but he seemed stable enough when he pulled away from Melissa. At some point, Chris slid over to the pair and slung an arm around Theo, pulling him into an one-armed embrace. Theo rested against his father with a quiet sigh, closing his eyes, content to let the conversation flow around him. 

“So…” Alec started, eyeing his brother with concern. “Theo is a full-blown supernatural now? With all the perks?” 

“I'm guessing that might be so,” Deaton nodded. “It seems that with the activation of his black dog abilities, his werewolf side probably fully kicked in.” 

“Wait,” Theo murmured, opening his eyes and visibly tuning in. His brow adorably pinched as he tried to puzzle something out. “Does that mean I can't manipulate mountain ash anymore?” 

“Really, dude?!” Corey asked with wide eyes. “You just find out some truly life-altering shit and you're concerned with mountain ash?!” 

“It's a valid concern,” Theo replied pointedly. “This pack has an unnatural obsession with finding people that use it against us.” 

“He has a point,” Mason chimed in. Corey threw him a dirty look. 

Deaton laughed at their antics before placing a jar full of mountain ash on the exam table in front of Theo. 

“I had a feeling you would think about that.”

Theo eyed the jar with some apprehension but not enough. Liam cursed that he was not standing immediately next to the idiot because he saw where this was going and… 

“Theo, do not just…” Melissa's sentence ended up abruptly as she watched her idiot son do exactly what she was warning him not to do. “You just stuck your hand in a jar of something that could potentially hurt you!” 

She reached forward and yanked his arm out of the jar. Liam tensed, waiting to see horribly deformed skin. He's had damage to his skin from direct contact with mountain ash. It wasn't pleasant. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. And apparently, Theo would never know that pain as his hand remained unblemished and clear. 

“Weird,” Mason said, already reaching for Theo's hand. He turned it over with a look of excitement that rivaled Theo's. Oh, no. They were both about to go full nerd. “So you can touch it but I wonder if you can be trapped in it.” 

Theo nodded, sticking his hand in the jar and throwing a handful of the black dust in the air. It formed a perfect circle around him, Chris, Melissa, and Mason. He raised a hand to touch the perimeter of the circle and found nothing blocking his way. He stepped over the line with no problems. 

“Guess I can still be one of our go-to mountain ash guys,” Theo shrugged. That is before another handful of dust landed around him. He turned to give his father a curious look. “What was that for? We already established that…” 

They would never find out what they already established because just as Theo tried to step outside of the new trap, he bounced back with a jolt. His eyes were wide as he turned to Scott and Liam. 

“Okay, what the hell?! That hurts! I've literally seen you guys run at a barrier several times in a row. Like why? That really hurts! Why are you the way that you are?!” 

“Fascinating!” Deaton said, coming to a stop before the disgruntled chimera. “So you can still wield it but if it's used against you as a trap, you're stuck.” 

“So far twenty-one is shaping up to be a terrible year,” Theo grumbled. “Someone wanna let me out or…?” 

Chris snickered and smudged the line with his boot. Theo moved away from him, choosing to wiggle his way in between Scott and Alec. Liam knew his boyfriend was not in the right frame of mind. That's the only reason he would think he was safe next to his brothers. Especially Alec who had been eyeing the chimera with a curious look in his eye. A look that grew in intensity as he touched one of the bracelets on his arm. 

“Alec,” Liam hummed as a warning. He narrowed his eyes when the little jerk only smirked before pressing his wrist against his brother’s arm. Liam winced at the sharp pain Theo felt in that moment. “What the hell was that?!” 

“So I was wondering if Theo was going to be affected by iron. You know since he's a fairy. Turns out he is!” Alec grinned before finally registering his brother’s face. “Oh, now is the part where I run, huh?” 

“Yup!” Theo agreed, politely giving him a head start of exactly five seconds before chasing after him with murder radiating from his entire being. 

“So, to recap,” Mason started. “Theo is okay. He’s basically Sirius Black from _ Harry Potter _ and definitely on Team Death Omen?” 

“Yes,” Deaton nodded. 

“Awesome. Well, I got twenty bucks that says he lets Alec go.” 

“Thirty that he only lets him think he let him go but he breaks the runt’s leg,” Isaac chimed in. Mason paused, thinking appreciatively. 

“Forty that he breaks Alec’s leg and Scott tries to lecture them on the ‘right way to act’ and then he cries because he made them feel bad.” 

“That’s easy, Scott cries all the time.” 

“Literally standing right here,” Scott murmured. His eyes flashed red as he heard something from outside. They all winced at Alec’s yelp of pain followed by Theo’s maniacal laughter. 

Melissa shook her head, already grabbing a first aid kit. “Twenty-three, twenty-one and eighteen and yet my six-year-olds act better than them,” she grumbled, stalking out the clinic with a pouting Scott and grinning Mason, Corey, and Isaac with her. 

Liam followed at a leisurely pace. He knew this wasn’t anything that really needed him. Theo was just blowing off steam and Alec was giving him the outlet. There would be a time in the future to explore just what being a black dog meant for Theo. But for right now, he could torture his idiot brother and be a goofy young man. at least just for a bit. The universe definitely owed him at least that much. 

* * *

Chris snorted as his girlfriend chastised their children with a voice full of humor and exasperation. Normally he would be right there with her, adding silently disappointed yet amused looks but that would have to wait. Right now, he was busy staring down the trio that somehow genuinely thought he wasn't going to notice how they were intentionally glossing over some details of the story.

Oh, sure they told a pretty comprehensive tale but Chris was a hunter. And he was a father. He's raised four teenagers at this point. He can spot a half-truth a mile away. And he had a feeling he knew what part was just conveniently left out. 

“So what about Theo's dad did you not want the kid to know about?” Chris asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Peter glared in his direction before pulling out his wallet. He fished out what appeared to be two $50 bills and grudgingly handed one to a smug Deaton and Derek. He then glared at Chris again. 

“I'm glad you're on our side, your overly observant predictable money costing bastard.” Chris nodded with a smirk. “Right. So the part that we left out is that… this is awkward. Derek?”

The younger man rolled his eyes heavenward before letting his gaze drift to meet Chris’s. “Theo told us that his parents were killed by the Dread Doctors. But it just didn't sit right after everything we learned. And that's because they didn't.”

“They didn't what?”

“The Dread Doctors didn't kill Theo's parents. The bastards skipped town just after Tara died.”

“You're telling me those bastards were alive and could've saved their son but didn't?” 

“Yes. And I'm also telling you that they were not only alive but they knew about the Doctors. They thought the Doctor would take Theo. And when their precious daughter was killed instead, they cleared town and ran again.” 

“Are they?” 

“Still alive?” Peter asked. He pursed his lips. “Most likely. But that's the least of our concerns.”

“The alpha’s brother,” Chris said. 

“The alpha’s brother,” Derek nodded. “I'm worried that us asking so many questions about the Raekens might have stirred up something.”

“You think the alpha might come to Beacon Hills to get revenge for his brother,” Chris concluded. Derek’s lip twitched. “You think he's going to come here and get revenge by hurting Theo.”

“It's a concern,” Derek shrugged. “I don't know if it's going to happen or not but I just want us to be on guard. The kid has been through enough in his life. He doesn't need his sperm donor messing everything up.” 

Chris nodded but said nothing more. They were right. His kid had been through enough and didn't need this stress in his life. Yet that's all that's been happening to him since well since they've known him. Between the Dread Doctors, Hell, Adam and now this, Theo has officially seen more horror than any twenty-one-year-old should. The fact that he wasn't foaming at the mouth crazy was kind of a miracle. 

He heard them calling his name and thanked the three men for everything. Deaton reminded them that the books were there and Theo was welcome to come by anytime during the summer to look through them. Chris nodded again and walked out of the clinic deep in thought. Derek was right. Them asking questions might have stirred something up. But it was better than not knowing. Now they knew what Theo was and they could at least help him cope with that. If someone was really after Theo because of the sins of his former father, they would handle that too. 

“Dad, you okay?” 

He startled looking down to meet warm hazel eyes of the one occupying his thoughts. His brow was furrowed but a small smile still lingered on his lips. It never ceased to amuse or amaze Chris that close to five years ago, when he first met Theo, he hated him. He hated what he did at least. Back then he could never imagine being on the same side as Theo much less being his father. But now he couldn't imagine not having the young man in his life. 

“Dad?” 

“Yeah, no. I’m good. I'm okay.”

Theo bit his lip. “They told you more stuff, didn't they?”

“Yeah, kiddo, they did.” Chris sighed, ruffling his son’s hair. “But it's nothing we can't handle if it does become a problem. And that's a big if. So don't let it bother you. We’ll talk about it later. For now, let's get some pizza, ice cream, and indoctrinate your sisters on movie nights with the pack.” 

Theo's eyes brightened even as a beaming smile spread across his face. Chris felt himself smiling in response. This kid only knew darkness and pain until he was pulled from hell by one of the people that put him there. It took a lot of time and trust to get to the place they were in. But it was worth it. God, it was so worth it. He had once thrown his entire legacy away in pursuit of those who wronged his kids and he would give so much more. For them and for all of his children, the twins included because they were his the minute they smiled in delight at Theo’s human form. He really was getting soft in his old age. 

Chris slung an arm around his kid once again and led him towards where the others were waiting. Where his family was waiting. He thought he buried the idea of a family with Allison and Victoria. But now he knew better. Now he had Melissa and their ever-growing circus act of children. Three sons and two daughters. But Chris wouldn't trade any of them for anything in the world. They were imperfectly perfect and he would do everything in his power to protect them. Even from each other…

“You know you're grounded for breaking your brother, right?”

Theo snorted, not even bothering to point out that he was an adult and clearly didn't live with his parents anymore. Instead, he smirked up at Chris with that shit-eating smug look Chris used to hate before but now filled him with a strange sense of pride. 

“Yeah, totally worth it.” 

God, he loved this kid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.... as always for now. And now for anyone else that might not have figured it out. The twins are brought up a few times in the fluffy You are My Sunshine side stories. I wanted to write about how they ended up with the family. I hope you all enjoyed their origin story of sorts. I'll be back soon with more Sunshine stories. Apparently writing angst gives me so much inspiration for fluff. See y'all soon. 
> 
> Stay safe, healthy, and sane. Ciao for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Cliffhangers are the worst, I know. Hope your interest was piqued..


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